Neck-yoke and tongue-tip



,(No Mode 1.)

A. V. HARTLE.

. I NECK YOKE AND TONGUE TIP. N0. 374,248. Patented Dec. '6, 1887 wve/wfoz @800 W Z ifi/(ZAJZQ i IO the center piece, 1. This center-piece consists UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

AMERIOUS V. HARTLE, OF GOSHEN, HARDI N COUNTY, OHIO.

NEC'K-YOKE AND TONGUE-TIP.

EPECIFICATECN forming part of Letters Paten't No. 374,248, dated December 6,1887,

Application filed April 22, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMERIGUS V. :HARTLE, acitizen of the United States of America, residing in Goshcn township, in the county of Hardin and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Neck-Yoke and Tongue-Tip for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in means for, connecting the neck-yoke and tongue end of a vehicle together; and the objeet is to provide a safe and convenient mechanical connection of the neck-yoke to the tongue, whereby the parts are held in union with certainty and safety, and which admits of them being readily and easily disconnected or connected.

My invention consists in the novel construction of parts and their combination, as will be hereinafter fully described, and specially as pointed out in the claims.

I have fully illustrated my improvements in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure 1 is a view of a neck-yoke with my improved center piece. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved tongue-tip, and Fig. 3 is a perspective of the parts united.

In the drawings, the same parts appearing in the different figures are designated by like notations, and, reference being thereto had, A designates the neckyokegvhich may be of any of the approved constructions, provided with end tips and means for carrying the chain or straps to connect them to the harness.

In the middle of the neck-yoke is secured of a layer or layers of leather,2, or other proper material of any appropriate form, having its middle bent about the neck-yoke, and the depending tips brought together and secured by means of a metallic blank or plate, 3, which faces the flexible part on both sides. In the center of this center piece is formed the tongue-hole 4. This tongue-hole, as shown in the drawings, is formed with its longest diameter arranged diagonally to the axis of the 11eck-yoke. .I have shown it as in the'shape of an ellipse; but any other shape will answer the purpose, providing the longest diameter is arranged at an angle diagonally fixed to the Serial No. 235,809. (No modch) line of horizontality of the yoke. This is es sential, since when the center piece is passed over the tongue-tip and the yoke is carried to a horizontal position the shorter diameter of the tongue-hole serves to lock the parts together, as hereinafter stated more fully.

B designates the tongue-tip. This corre sponds in the part 5, or forward piece, to the outline of the tongue-hole in the center piece, and has its sides terminating in flanges 6, back of which the tip is contracted, as at 7, and is provided with a spirally-arranged annular flange, 8, which serves as a keeper or abutment to prevent the center piece from sliding farther back on the tongue, and the shoulder or abrupt terminations 8 of the flanges on the tonguetip prevent the center piece from slip' ping off the tongue. The spiral annular flange also permits sui'iicient play to the center piece, and allows it to be thrown on an incline when the tongue is pushed forward, thus relieving the center piece of extra strain by permitting it to restin the line of force at the propcrangle.

The parts are united by'simply making the tongue-hole in the center piece register with the tongue-tip, and then slipping it back thereon until it sets behind the shoulders of the flanges of the tongue-tip, and then carrying the yoke to a horizontal position, when the parts will be locked or so held together that they cannot be disconnected except by tipping the yoke until the hole in the center piece again registers with the shape of the tip,when it can he slipped off. .It will be seen that by this arrangement and construction I provide a means by which the vehicle may be drawn in case the traces become loose, and by which the vehicle may be held back in case the holdback breaks. 1n the former the flanges on the tongue-tip keep the center piece on, and in the latter the spiral flange serves as an abutment to keep the center piece from shoving up the tongue.

The tongue-tip is arranged with its longest diameter on a horizontal line, and the tonguehole of the center piece is arranged with its longest diameter on a line departing from horizontality.

\Vhat I claim isl. A center piece for the neck-yoke of a road vehicle, formed with a tongue-hole having its longest diameter arranged diagonally to the axis of the yoke-stick, substantially as described, and for the purpose stated.

A tongue-tip for a road-Vehicle, formed with side flanges, an annular seat of less diameter than the tip and flanges, and a spirallyarranged flange back of the seat for the center piece, substantially as described, and for the purpose stated.

3. A tongue-tip for a road-vehicle, formed with laterally-extended side flanges, an annular seat for the center piece on the tip at the termination of the flanges, and a spirally-arranged flange back of the seat for the center piece, substantially as described, and for the purpose stated.

4. The neck-yoke provided with a center piece formed with a tongue-hole having its longest diameter departing from the axis ofthe yoke-stick, in combination with a tongue-tip of a corresponding shape in cross-section to the tongue hole of the center piece, the side edges thereof terminating in shoulders, and 1 said tip arranged at an angle to lock the parts together when the center piece isin the tonguetip and the yoke-stick is horizontal, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a neckyoke provided with a center piece formed with an ellipticalshaped tongue-hole arranged with its longest diameter at an angle departing from the aXis of the neck-yoke, and a tongue provided with a tongue-tip elliptical in cross-section, arranged with its longest diameter at an angle departing from the longest axis of the hole in the center piece, and formed with a seat on the tip to take the center piece of the yoke, substantially as described, and for the purpose stated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 40 

